Wednesday’s World News Update: My Views

Boris Johnson says he will ‘in all probability’ stand as MP at the 2015 general election. My most memorable Boris moments are when he hosted the Olympics, banned alcohol on public transport, and introduced the Barclays bikes, and not to mention his windswept hair in interviews. The next Mayor of London has some big boots to fill!

Baroness Sayeeda Warsi steps down as Foreign Office minister after stating that David Cameron’s position on Gaza is ‘morally indefensible’. It is commendable that she stood up for her morals, and it is great to see that politicians still have a moral conscience. But, I believe that being in Parliament is a chance to create positive change. Baroness Warsi should have urged for change from inside Parliament as she is now powerless outside the system.

British Airways suspend flights to and from Liberia and Sierra Leone because of the Ebola outbreak. But The Guardian states ‘Since the Ebola outbreak began in February, around 300,000 people have diedfrom malaria, while tuberculosis has likely claimed over 600,000 lives.’ ‘The most real effect for millions of people reading about Ebola will be fear and stigma.’ The Guardian also states that hundreds of thousands will, however, die within the next year from regular flu; emphasising that the Ebola outbreak is over-hyped. The Ebola outbreak is very real as are the deaths that it has caused. It also has the risk of spreading. But, The Guardian is correct in saying other viruses are, so far, more dangerous.

According to The Huffington Post, ‘Sikh activists pressured law enforcement on Tuesday to investigate what they are calling a hate crime against 29-year-old Sandeep Singh, a Sikh father of two who was critically injured after being hit by a car last week in Queens, New York.’ A driver branded Singh a ‘terrorist’ before running him over with his pick-up truck and, reportedly, dragging him 30ft. Racism is an issue that is intolerable in any part of the world and this is a case that should be investigated into further, as the New York Police Department is doing.

BBC News reports that Israel has withdrawn its troops from ‘the Gaza Strip to “defensive positions” outside the Palestinian territory.’ Bloomberg states that ‘Negotiators are seeking a lasting solution’ and that ‘Israel’s army has said it achieved its goals.’ Approximately 1,800 Palestinians have been killed in the four week conflict, and 67 Israelis have also been killed. I do not believe that any religion advocates violence or that politics is ever a good enough reason for murder. This transpired from a political operation to a humanitarian issue.